A new genus of Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with notes on life history and immature stages

Abstract

Neolirata new genus (Eucharitidae: Eucharitini) is recognized based on males and females, with new descriptions of eggs, planidia and pupae. Redescriptions are provided for N. alta (Walker) and N. daguerrei (Gemignani) (comb. nov. trans-ferred from Lirata) and a new description of N. furcula sp. nov. is presented. Females of N. alta deposit their eggs on the underside of leaves of Pseudabutilon virgatum (Cav.) Fryxell (Malvaceae) and N. daguerrei on the underside of Urvillea chacoensis Hunz (Sapindaceae). A key to species is included.

Neotropical ant parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae): interpreting taxonomy, phylogeny and divergent morphologies

“…Species in the Neolirata Clade all oviposit onto the undersides of leaves (Fig. S13C) (Torréns, ; Torréns & Heraty, ). This behaviour is not unique, with some group 3 members, including Kapala terminalis (Clausen, ), also doing so.…”

“…Where known, species in the Neolirata Clade (‘C’) oviposit on the undersides of leaves, usually depositing eggs under the spicules on the leaf surface (Torréns, ; Torréns & Heraty, ). This type of oviposition is known for Dicoelothorax , Lasiokapala , Latina , Neolirata and Thoracantha (Torréns, ; Torréns & Heraty, ; Torréns et al ., ). This oviposition type is not exclusive to this group, and other Kapala Clade species also oviposit onto the surface leaves (Clausen, ; Berry, ; Torréns et al ., ; Torréns & Heraty, ; Torréns & Heraty, ; Torréns et al ., ).…”

“…This type of oviposition is known for Dicoelothorax , Lasiokapala , Latina , Neolirata and Thoracantha (Torréns, ; Torréns & Heraty, ; Torréns et al ., ). This oviposition type is not exclusive to this group, and other Kapala Clade species also oviposit onto the surface leaves (Clausen, ; Berry, ; Torréns et al ., ; Torréns & Heraty, ; Torréns & Heraty, ; Torréns et al ., ). Specifically, Kapala Clade members usually oviposit on the ventral sides of the leaf with the eggs tucked under the plant spicules or pubescence, with the eggs parallel to the surface.…”

“…2, 'C') is a monophyletic group of six genera, with an estimated crown age of 14. including Lirata, are diagnosed by four synapomorphies by Heraty (2002). Aided by information from molecular phylogenies, Neolirata was recently split from Lirata (Torréns & Heraty, 2013), and is distinguished by a sharp carina separating the ocelli. Genera of the Neolirata Clade are found across much of South America and do not reach north to Central America.…”

Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea), a family new to the fauna of Saudi Arabia, with the description of the previously unknown male of Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) affinis Bouček

“…Members are distributed in almost every zoogeographic region of the world but are most abundant in the tropics (Heraty 2002). The family includes 54 genera and about 420 species worldwide (Heraty 2002, Torréns 2013, Torréns and Heraty 2013) classified in the three subfamilies Gollumiellinae, Oraseminae and Eucharitinae (Munro et al 2011, Heraty et al 2013, Murray et al 2013). …”